Electric light



(NoModeL A. G. HOLOOMBE.

Electric Light.

No. 233,096. Patented Oct. 12,1880.

Invert/for N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMEK WASHINGTON, u C.

NrrED STATES PATENT @rrrcs.

ALFRED G. HOLCOMBE, OF GRANBY, CONNECTICUT.

EL'ECTRIC LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,096, dated October 12, 1880.

Application filed May 20, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED G. HOLOOMBE, a resident of Granby, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Light Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electriclighting apparatus; and it consists in the combination of a small armature with a piece of soft iron, constructed and arranged to be controlled by the magnetic action of an electric current thereon, or by magnetic induction, and so connected to the carbon rods of the apparatus as to keep the electric arc of the right length to give a light in proportion to the current, said small armature being controlled by the movement of the piece of soft iron, so as to always maintain its proper positions thereto, to be acted on by magnetic induction therefrom, and to apply a clamp or brake to the feeding device which connects the carbon rods to the moving piece of soft iron, thus preventing the carbon rods feeding toward each other until the arc has increased in length sufficiently to reduce the current and lower the magnetism of the moving piece of iron enough to admit of the small armature being retracted there from by a spring or weight, thereby opening the clamp or brake to allow the feed to work.

There are several ways in which electriclighting apparatus may be constructed to embody this principle; butthe simplest way that is at present known to me consists of a verticallyplaced axial magnet, the core of which is suspended from one end of a horizontal lever, and the otheren d is provided with a socket through which slides a vertical metal rod carrying the upper carbon. Pivoted to this lever, at a point near the socket, is a light bell-crank or right-angled lever, the short arm of which presses against the metal rod to bind it tight in the socket ot' the main lever, and the long arm lies horizontally, so that its extreme end is over the core of the axial magnet, and to this end is adjustably fitted the small armature immediately over the upper end of the core of the axial magnet, in close proximity thereto, but adjusted so as never to come in contact therewith, and the magnetic attraction between them is opposed by an adjusting-spring con- (No model.)

nected to the long arm of the bell-crank lever and a projection from the main lever. The movement of the main lever, carbon rod and holder, and core of the axial magnet is governed, and the magnetic action of the current on the core opposed and regulated, by an adjusting-spring, one end of which is connected to the main lever and the other end to the frame of the apparatus, all of which will be fully hereinafter described by reference had to the accom 'ianying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, also partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

My improvements in electric-lighting apparatus are shown in the drawings as applied to a bracket-lamp to be secured to a post or wall, in which a represents the frame provided with attaching-ears a a.

The axial magnet 11 is secured in a vertical position to the frame a, and is provided at its upper end with a metal plate or head, 0, projecting upwardly from which are the stand ards c c, and to these standards is pivoted the lever d.

The leyer d is slotted through its entire length, and one end of it is formed into a circle, the center of which is directly over the center of the axial magnet a, and to this end of the leveris secured, by means of the links 0 e, the core 0 of the axial magnet, the lower end of the core having a guide-pin, which passes through a hole in the lower plate or head of the axial magnet to keep the core in a central position. The outer end of the lever d is provided with a socket, f, in which is lit ted the rod 9, so as to slide freely therein, and the inner side of this socket is cut away to allow the short arm of the bell-crank or rightangled lever It to come in contact with the rod 9 when the long arm of it is depressed, and so clamp the rod 9 rigidly to the socket f at the end of the lever d.

The rod 9 may be serrated or roughened, and the short arm of the lever it provided with teeth; but I prefer to make them both smooth.

The bell-cranklever It lies in the slot formed through the lever d, and is pivoted thereto at a point near the socketf. The end of the long arm of the bell-crank lever h is over the end of the core 6 of the axial magnet, and it carries the small armature t, which has a screw-stem fitting in a tapped hole in the end of it, which admits of the adjustment of the small armature z in its relation to the core 0, and when properly adjusted it is locked to the arm of the bell-crank lever by means of the thumb-nut '6.

The armature t' is drawn away from the core 0, and the short arm of the bell-crank lever it caused to release the rod gby means of the adjustable spring 7c, the upper end of which has a screw-stem which passes through ahole in the standard secured to the lever cl, and the stop-pin k prevents the spring 7t moving the lever farther than is necessary to just free the rod 9 to allow it to slide freely through the socket f. The upper carbon, 1, is secured to the lower end of the rod g, and the lower carbon, m, is held in a socket on the end of the arm n, which is secured to the lower end of the frame a by means of an insulating-connection.

To the inner end of the lever d is secured one end of the spring 0, the other end of which is provided with a screw-stem passing through a lug from the frame a, and on which is an adjusting thumb-nut, o.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The carbons being in contact, the electric current enters by the insulated post p on the arm a, and from thence to the bobbin of the axial magnet I) through the plate 0, standards 0 c, lever (1, socket], rod g, upper carbon, 1, lower carbon,m, arm n, and leaves by the post q, which is in metallic contact with arm n. The core 0 becomes instantly magnetized, and by induction attracts the small armature t', thereby clamping the rod 9 in the socket f of the lever (1, the carbons being separated and the electric are formed between their ends by the core 0 being drawn within the coil of the axial magnet b, opposed to which. action is the tension ofthe spring0,which is adjusted to the current used, and the spring It is also set or adjusted so as to draw the armature 2' away from the core 0 sufiiciently to release the rod g as soon as the current is reduced by an increase in the length of the are, and it is found that the current is reduced sufficiently to allow the armature to act by an almost imperceptible variation of the are, so that the carbons are apparently feeding together with one continuous steady motion as fast as they are consumed, and that, too, without any very line adjustment of the regulatingsprings, so that the apparatus adapts itself to currents of va- 'rying strength without any sudden changes in the light, thus enabling me, by this application of the principle of a clamping independent small armature with the core of an axial magnet or other moving piece of magnetized metal, to make a reliable electric-lighting apparatus of very simple and cheap construction.

The lower carbon is shown in a fixed position, so that as it is consumed the light will gradually descend. Where it is required to keep the light always in one position any of the well-known devices may be used to raise the lower carbon.

Having now described the nature of my invention and a manner in which it may be practically applied, I wish it understood that Ido not confine myself to the particular embodiment of it set forth; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 an electric-1i ghtingapparatus, the combination of a small armature with the core of an axial magnet or other moving piece of magnetized metal, and feeding device for forming and maintaining an electric are between the ends of carbon rods, substantiallyin the manner hereinbcfore set forth.

2. In an electric-lighting apparatus, in combination, the coil 0 of an axial magnet, lever cl, and rod g, with a clamp or brake for hold ing the rod g to the lever d, and operated by magnetic induction from the core 0, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. In combination, the lever (1, rod g, bellcrank lever h, and spring 7c, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. In combination, the core 0, the lever cl, and rod g, with the bell-crank lever it, provided with the armature 17, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. In an electric-lighting apparatus, the core 0 of the axial magnet I), connected to and operating the carbon rod substantially in the manner described, in combination with the armature 1:, arranged to be attracted by the core 0, and apply a clamp or brake to arrest the feeding forward of the carbon rod, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

6. In an electric-lighting apparatus, in combination, the core 0, the lever 01, the rod g, the spring 0, the bell-crank lever h, the armature t, and the spring 7t, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

' 7. In combination, the core 0 of the axial magnet, the lever 07, provided with a socket, f, the bell-crank lever h, and the armature '13, ad justably connected to the lever h, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand this 19th day of May, A. D. 1880.

ALFRED G. HOLOOMBE.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. SIIEDLOCK, H. D. \VILLIAMS.

IIO 

